WASHINGTON: The online gaming networks for Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox consoles — hot gifts this Christmas — went dark in what hackers said was a coordinated attack.
The disruption started Christmas Day and went into Friday, PlayStation and Xbox said on their Twitter feeds, adding that they were working to restore service.
A subsequent message posted to the Xbox status page early Friday upgraded service to “limited” — a sign that support teams were making inroads in fixing the problem.
A new Twitter user going by the name “Lizard Squad” took credit for the disruption, claiming it had the “nation on strings.”
The name is the same used by a group of hackers that has targeted Sony in the past, though it was not possible to verify the Twitter account’s authenticity. The account did not return request for comment and only became active Wednesday.
Sony this month was hit by a sophisticated hacking attack that stole massive amounts of data from its servers. The US has blamed North Korea for the attack, with the hermit state seen as furious at the release of a Sony movie comedy, “The Interview,” which parodies leader Kim Jong-Un.
After initially canceling the December 25 release of “The Interview,” Sony backtracked and brought it out in a few US theaters and made it available online — including through the Xbox console and, soon, the PlayStation.
Sony’s @PlayStation Twitter account said: “We’re aware that some users are having issues logging into PSN — engineers are investigating.”
Its @AskPlayStation Twitter account wrote early Friday, a day after the difficulties began: “Our engineers are continuing to work hard to resolve the network issues users have experienced today. Thanks for your continued patience!“
Meanwhile, Microsoft on a site for its Xbox customers pleaded with its game fans to be patient.
“We’re aware of this issue, and we’re working to find a fix ASAP! We appreciate your patience in the meantime, and we encourage you to retry signing in when you get a chance. We’ll update you as soon as we know more,” the message said.
While a direct connection between “The Interview” and the service disruptions could not be confirmed, some gamers were convinced a link exists.
“I blame that darn movie ‘The Interview’,” wrote as2009man on a PlayStation community forum message board.
“It’s the gift that keeps on giving,” he said.
Another poster to the same forum said he was getting fed up with the game world’s vulnerability to repeated denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
“A DDos attack is like a semi (truck) driver intentionally jackknifing his rig on a busy interstate and shutting down traffic for a few hours,” said one gamer, who wrote under the name “shadoefax.”
Game users also took to Twitter to vent their frustration.
“After this christmas, #lizardsquad is forever on the naughty list,” one frustrated gamer fumed.
A major cybertattack on PlayStation in 2011 saw personal details from 77 million customers stolen, preventing customers from playing online and forcing Sony to disable the network for more than three weeks.
Sony’s PlayStation, Micosoft’s Xbox offline in ‘hacker attack’
Sony’s PlayStation, Micosoft’s Xbox offline in ‘hacker attack’
Closing bell: Saudi market edges up to close at 11,213
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index climbed on Tuesday, closing at 11,213.97, up 18.52 points, or 0.17 percent. The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index also advanced to 1,512.07, up 0.19 percent, while the parallel market Nomu index declined 0.14 percent to 23,639.92.
Market breadth was positive, with 142 gainers against 116 decliners. Trading activity reached 303.6 million shares, generating a total turnover of SR4.5 billion ($1.1 billion).
Among the session’s leading gainers, MBC Group surged 9.98 percent to SR31.96, Americana Restaurants International PLC climbed 9.50 percent to SR1.96, and Nayifat Finance Co. rose 6.84 percent to SR12.50. Al Aziziah REIT Fund gained 6 percent to SR4.77, while Electrical Industries Co. advanced 4.67 percent to SR14.34.
Consolidated Grunenfelder Saady Holding Co. recorded the steepest decline, sliding 9.96 percent to SR8.59. Thimar Development Holding Co. fell 5.04 percent to SR36.58, Al Kathiri Holding Co. eased 4.07 percent to SR2.12, Taiba Investments Co. declined 4.06 percent to SR34.54, and Taleem REIT Fund dropped 3.65 percent to SR9.78.
Mutakamela Insurance Co. announced its annual financial results for the year ended Dec. 31, 2025, reporting higher insurance revenues but a decline in net profit. Insurance revenues rose to SR879.8 million, compared with SR873.9 million a year earlier, supported mainly by growth in motor and protection and savings lines.
Net profit attributable to shareholders fell to SR7.4 million, down from SR15.2 million in the previous year, primarily due to a decline in investment income. Total comprehensive income increased 18.8 percent year on year to SR20.9 million, while shareholders’ equity stood at SR723.9 million, up 3 percent. Mutakamela shares last traded at SR10.44, down 0.57 percent.
Separately, Academy of Learning Co. said its board approved the distribution of cash dividends for the first half of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. The company will distribute SR13.5 million, equivalent to SR0.10 per share, to shareholders.
The eligibility date is set for April 16, 2026, with distribution scheduled for April 28, 2026. Dividends transferred to non-resident investors are subject to withholding tax under applicable regulations. Academy of Learning shares last traded at SR7.30, up 1.11 percent.
